This invention relates to a discharge chute apparatus for a high speed conveying system and particularly to a gravity discharge chute permitting lateral discharge from the conveying system in a minimum amount of space.
In high speed sorting of parcels, various conveyors are employed with automatic discharge means for discharging of the parcels from the conveyor at preselected discharge or sorting stations. For example, the co-pending application of Richard L. Speaker entitled "CONVEYING APPARATUS INCLUDING TILTING SUPPORT STRUCTURES" which was filed on Apr. 10, 1972 with Ser. No. 242,330, discloses a high speed sorting device employing the tilting tray for carrying each of the parcels. At each discharge station, a trip mechanism is actuated to release a tray structure and permit the rapid discharge of the package into the chute structure.
Generally, the chute structure is provided with an enlarged opening including an upstream portion for guiding of the parcel or package into a lateral discharge chute. The enlarged opening is, of course, adapted to accommodate the high speed movement of the package and to minimize the preciseness with which the discharge from the conveyor must occur. Generally, the forward movement of the package causes it to move into engagement with the downstream wall which may also be cured to turn the parcel and cause it to move downwardly through and from the chute structure. The discharge end of the chute structure must, of course, be adapted to accept the widest parcel which will be handled by the sorting or conveying system. To minimize the space requirements, however, the discharge chute and the run-out conveyor or the like are made to just accommodate maximum sized parcels. In such devices, particularly at high speed, the parcel may move down through the discharge chute and into the discharge end adjacent to the run-out conveyor without properly turning. Under certain conditions, the parcel may lodge sideways within the discharge area of the chute. This is particularly true with intermediate size parcels which will lodge with the trailing edge of the leading end of the article adjacent to the downstream wall of the run-out conveyor and the leading edge of the trailing end or upstream end of the parcel lodged within or abutting the upstream wall of the discharge chute. This requires significant operating downtime or construction of an oversized chute in order to eliminate or significantly reduce load jamming. Further, in high speed sorters, employing tilting tray units and the like, the package or parcel is discharged by dropping of the tray to form an inclined discharge surface and the tray may advantageously be jogged to insure removal of the parcel. When the parcel is discharged into a chute structure, the parcel may tend to tumble or roll laterally into and through the chute structure. In handling of parcels and the like, such motion may be undesirable, particularly where the load content is fragile or unknown.